The Wuthathi Traditional Use Marine Resource Agreement (TUMRA) was signed in June 2008 following two years of discussions between the Wuthathi people, the Traditional Owners of a section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park north of Cooktown (which is approximately 100 kilometres north of Cairns) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

The agreement covers a large section of the Great Barrier Reef and coastal waters at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The objective of the agreement is to enhance the elaboration and coordination of the respective resource management strategies and activities of Traditional Owners and the GBRMPA within the relevant section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Detailed Information:

Traditional Use Marine Resource Agreements (TUMRAs) are 'a new type of legal instrument that describes how Traditional Owner groups wish to manage the traditional use of marine resources' (Department of Environment and Heritage, 2004, 3).

The terms of the TUMRA were developed by the Traditional Owners with the assistance of the Cape York Land Council and GBRMPA. The TUMRA was accredited by the GBRMPA and the Queensland Environment Protection Agency at a meeting held in June 2008 (GBRMPA, 2008, 44). The initial emphasis of the agreement is on the management and hunting of dugong and green turtles within the area covered by the agreement.

The agreement is to be integrated with the existing zoning and management plans of the GBRMPA so that:

"Traditional Owners will continue to have access to all zones in the Marine Park according to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander custom or tradition, for activities not involving the take of animals, plants or marine products;

Traditional fishing and collecting can be conducted 'as of right' (without a permit) in those zones which generally allow for fishing and collecting;

Traditional hunting of dugong and turtle, and other traditional use that would not be an 'as of right' activity, will be managed through ... [TUMRAs];

[TUMRAs] will be developed between the Traditional Owners groups and the GBRMPA for cooperatively managing a wide range of 'sea country' issues. Guidelines for establishing ... [TUMRAs] (including the contents of such agreements) will be established in consultation with Traditional Owner groups, representative bodies and the Environment Protection Agency...

The proposed new system will:

Provide a sound basis for achieving sustainable levels of harvesting as necessary for species conservation;

Meet obligations and establish a framework that is consistent with the Native Title Act 1993; and

The cooperative arrangements provided for by the agreement complement several other measures providing for the recognition of Indigenous rights and cooperative management including the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), as well as measures specific to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park such as statutory provision for the appointment of at least one representative of Traditional Owners on the Board of the GBRMPA, participation on regional and local advisory committees, and the establishment of an Indigenous Partnerships Liaison Unit within the Authority.

For further information on these arrangements, see the link to the Great Barrier Reef Management Authority below.